Hundreds
Flee VolcanoHundreds
of people were evacuated from villages near Mexicos
Volcan de Fuego following warnings that an eruption was likely within
days.

Vulcanologists
recorded thousands of small tremors at the 13,000-foot mountain,
located 280 miles west of Mexico City in the state of Colima. A plume
of smoke soared high over the volcano on Wednesday as local police
officers evacuated nearly 250 people from surrounding villages.
Nearly 300,000 people live within 25 miles of the Volcan de Fuego. It
is considered Mexicos most active and dangerous volcano.

Tropical
StormsTropical
cyclone 06B lashed eastern Indias Andhra Pradesh state
with 110 mph winds and torrential rains. At least two people were
killed and hundreds of trees and utility poles were toppled by the
storm.

Seventeen people
were killed when tropical storm Chip roared ashore along the
southeast coast of Vietnam. The storm also caused widespread
flooding and wind damage. Additional damage was expected late in the
week across the same area from tropical storm Dawn, which was taking
a similar path across the country.

Dolphin
ThreatAn
oil spill in the South China Sea threatens the dwindling population
of rare pink dolphins that inhabit the mouth of the Pearl River Delta
near Hong Kong.

Chinese
authorities were trying to contain a six-mile-long oil slick near the
delta following a collision on Nov. 13 between two tankers. The
survival of the endangered dolphins was already threatened by
increased pollution in the waters around the former British
colony.

Early
Russian WinterAn
icy storm that swept through the Russian capital late last
week has claimed 13 lives and left nearly 200 people hospitalized
with cold-related illnesses.

Temperatures in
Moscow plummeted to as low as minus 2 degrees Fahrenheit as the first
winterlike storm of the season arrived earlier than usual. Russian
meteorologists say that the extreme temperatures were some of the
lowest for mid-November in more than 20 years.

South
African TwisterA
rare South African tornado destroyed nearly 200 homes as it
swept through the city of Harrismith, about 180 miles southeast of
Johannesburg.

The South African
Press Association reported that 15 people were hospitalized with
injuries received during the twister. Disaster officials estimate
damage along the tornados path at $200,000 and did not expect
to have electricity restored to the affected area for a week.

Thai
Monkey RaidsBudget
cuts in Thailand, which have eliminated funding to feed some
wild monkeys, are sending the marauding animals into local villages
where they are raiding crops and stored food supplies.

Residents in the
northeastern Thailand village of Ban Ma have appealed to local
authorities to resume feeding 1,000 wild monkeys to get the hungry
animals off their backs. The primates have been made even more
aggressive in Ban Ma, 350 miles northeast of Bangkok, because of the
worsening drought conditions that are plaguing Sisaket province. The
animals were previously given four sacks of rice per month to stop
them from pestering the village. Recent budget cuts during the
countrys deep recession have put an end to these
hand-outs.